The Pottery Place & More, a ceramics, canvas and scrapbooking studio, opened last fall in north Modesto. Emily Flora (center) and Gianna Genasci (left) paints during a birthday party at the studio Saturday, March 3, 2018. Marijke Rowlandmrowland@modbee.com

The Pottery Place & More, a ceramics, canvas and scrapbooking studio, opened last fall in north Modesto. Emily Flora (center) and Gianna Genasci (left) paints during a birthday party at the studio Saturday, March 3, 2018. Marijke Rowlandmrowland@modbee.com

Bored kids at home? New Modesto pottery and painting studio has a cure for that

When your kids look up at you with glazed boredom and sigh that there’s nothing to do, your day doesn’t have to go to pot.

It could instead go to bowl. Or mug. Or blank canvas.

The new studio The Pottery Place & More in north Modesto opened last fall to help alleviate youthful — or young at heart — boredom. Since then it has been helping make memories for families and budding artists in the area. Owner Sandra Ligon opened the independent paint-your-own ceramics business in October after about 15 years of working for the chain Color Me Mine and the local studio Pottery Magic.

Like those spots, The Pottery Place & More offers ceramics painting and parties . But it’s the “More” part of the name that helps set the studio apart. Her studio also offers painting sessions and classes and scrapbooking time and supplies. For private parties and events she even has superhero, princess and other fanciful costumes for the kids to wear to make the experience special.

“I wanted to do my own thing. I wanted to let the kids dress up for parties. I wanted to be able to do more,” Ligon said.

The Salida resident runs the studio with her husband, Mike, in a space two doors down from the CVS in the Smart & Final shopping center on the corner of Standiford Avenue and Sisk Road. One wall is dedicated to all the blank pottery, waiting to be painted, and the other has blank canvasses and scrapbooking materials.

The more than 100 ceramic options including your standard mugs and plates to vases, piggy banks, superheroes, Disney characters and much more. Customers pay for the unpainted piece, which costs anywhere from $6 to $60, plus a studio fee of $5 (for ages 12 and under, seniors and military/law enforcement) or $7. You can then stay as long as you want to paint, and Ligon helps with painting techniques and suggestions. Completed pieces are then glazed and fired in the one of the studio’s two kilns for 24 hours. They are typically ready for pickup in about a week.

Those interested in painting a canvas instead can choose a size — from 11-by-14 for $20 to $25 or 16-by-20 for $25 to $30 — with no additional studio time fee. Ligon has all the supplies on hand some paint-by-design options to choose from for those who don’t want to freestyle.

One of Ligon’s more popular additions is the Friday night Paint With Pizza class. For $25 per person they get a canvas, painting session, pizza, drinks and desserts. So if you have family members at home who aren’t old enough for those paint-and-sip studios that serve wine, this is the all-ages alternative.

She also does special pricing for schools and nonprofits, either on site or in studio, for $10 per person with the ceramics or canvas classes. In the future she plans to add wood and glass painting to her offerings.

“I want people to have fun and try something new,” she said.

Pottery Place & More, at 2900 Standiford Ave. Suite 3, is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information call 209-408-8657 or visit www.thepotteryplaceandmore.com.